Kids from ‘Big Apple’ to get breath of Cayman air
(CNS): Ten children from New York City will enjoy a holiday of a lifetime when they arrive in the Cayman Islands tomorrow for a free vacation as part of the annual Fresh Air Fund programme sponsored by Department of Tourism and Cayman Airways. The youngsters, who come from tough inner city neighbourhoods, will be visiting a number of local attractions, such as Stingray City, and the Botanic Park, as well as plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful beaches and ocean. Cayman is the only destination outside of the USA that the fund partners with and the goal is to provide a life-changing experience for children, opening their horizons and enabling them to experience new environments and cultures.
An independent not-for-profit organization located in New York City, it was established in1877 to provide free summer vacations to thousands of New York City children. The children who will visit Cayman will stay with eight local host families, four of which are new hosts and four who have participated before, and the escorts will be staying at the Westin Hotel.
The Department of Tourism, Cayman Airways and The Fresh Air Fund have been partners since 2007 to provide kids from NYC with an unforgettable vacation in the Cayman Islands. Officials said the partnership began as a means to commemorate the launch of CAL’s direct service from Grand Cayman to New York’s JFK Airport.
One trip was initially offered to a group of inner city kids to vacation in the Cayman Islands. The programme flourished from there and has been held annually ever since. Over the past three years, several kids from Grand Cayman have also had the opportunity to attend Summer Camp in New York through the Fresh Air Fund.
DoT’s association with the Fresh Air Fund also generates positive media coverage for the Cayman Islands in US media and is also a channel to highlight the destination to international audiences, the DoT said.
Category: Local News
My family will be hosting two of the NY kids for a week (starting today), and it will be our 3rd or 4th time participating in the programme. This is a vacation that these inner city children would only be able to dream about if it were not for the programme. In a way, we feel that we're helping make their dream come true. Our children benefit was well, as they are invited to each activity that the NY kids participate in during the week long trip. Our own children will enjoy a week of activities that we would not normally have the time for, but for this wonderful programme. I suggest you stop complaining about charity and find something nice to do for someone else; you just might find that there's something good in it for you too!
Fresh air huh? Well let’s just hope they don’t make these kids stay anywhere in the SMB vicinity of the dump fumes stench!
Virtually every professional expat on this island is doing at least 3-4 (and many do many more) events a year supporting Children, Cancer Care, Red Cross, ARK, Rotaries, Lions and in addition making lots of donations for raffle tickets, home repairs and other things for the people of this island.
What are you doing? Apart from complaining? Easy to complain, much harder to do something. Get off your backside and help too..
Yes, all to be listed on their applications for permanent residency and caymanian status. Once successful in those applications their noble, charitable work ceases. Happens all the time! Very sad.
At least we do something…you see very few Caymanians at fund raisers-except the Rotary members who are brilliant..and still you have the front to complain. So according to you we should just stop all this fund raising? Come up with an alternate plan where Cayman supports its own (apart from teh CS that is) and we will.
Who the hell was complaining? I only read where someone asked, quite rightly, what was being done for underprivileged Caymanian children. This is the problem with you self-serving foreign transplants, you come here, pretend to be such great souls by joining in on various charities etc, all for your own gain in various ways. The question was valid, so, what ARE YOU doing for under privileged Caymanian children. pray do tell.
Read 21.49 and ye shall know. The question was, what is being done for Cayman kids and others. One of the answers was in the original posters blog. Why are you so pissed off? Embarrassed by doing nothing again? Except complaining? Name the last act you did to help some very needy on this island. Or did you just spit on the ground as you walked by..If it was not for us "self serving" people, many of your own would be 6 feet under! With you watching and complaining.
Charity knows no borders.
Also did you read that this program also takes Kidsfrom Cayman to camp in NY. Expanding and enhancing all of their life experience.
Stop being so narrow minded and self serving. This not only helps both NYC and Cayman kids, but it also provides positive Public Relations for our country.
Sounds like a win win to be. Everyone willing to see, can see that it is great for all concerned.
Caymankind
I wonder what are they doing for the underpriviledged children of the Cayman Islands – and yes, we have so many, many of them!!
Charity should begin at home!
Usually, some children are invited to visit camps in the states, they were not able to this year.
What are you doing to help out? it doesnt take money, just a little bit of your time.
I do a lot for our underprivileged Caymanian children and I am sure the person you are questioning does the same, hence the reason he/she is aware of the many that exist. Perhaps rather than having the negative attitude that you display you might tryto adjust your mind and ask how you may be able to help the local children.
Wow, you can tell by the thumbs down that those very type of people you speak of are the active ones on here. You are absolutely right 10:26.
Thumbs down to you, and to 10:26. Oh, and I'm 100%, 4th generation, Caymanian.